Abstract: [Purpose/Significance] China has accelerated the construction of new infrastructure such as 5G networks and data centers, and included "smart library" in the 14th Five Year Plan and the Vision Outline for 2035, bringing significant development opportunities to the construction of smart libraries. "No one can create a smart library except smart librarians". Smart librarians are the source of vitality and power for the development of smart libraries. The construction of smart libraries puts forward higher requirements for the quality and ability of smart librarians. Developing the core elements of smart librarians is the focus of smart library construction, and also the primary task of smart library construction. [Method/Process] The research focus of the academic community on smart librarians is mostly focused on the research on the capacity building and capacity evaluation system of smart librarians. According to the connotation of the concept of core literacy, combined with the characteristics of smart libraries and the working characteristics of smart librarians, this paper puts forward four core librarian literacy elements of smart libraries: professional literacy, information service literacy, cooperation and communication literacy, and self-development literacy. Among them, professional literacy is the basis for the effective operation of smart libraries; information service literacy is the guarantee of the service quality of smart libraries; the quality of cooperation and communication is the condition of open sharing and cooperation of smart libraries; self development literacy is the guarantee for the sustainable development of smart libraries. On this basis, the development path of the core literacy of smart librarians is given in a targeted way. The paper contributes to the literature by providing the first case study on the cultivation of smart librarians. [Results/Conclusions] Developing the core literacy of smart librarians is a dynamic, complex and systematic project, involving the coordinated development of pre-service education, post-service training, self-learning and other aspects. By adopting multiple training methods, creating a "meaning construction" environment, building a community of practice, establishing a progressive mechanism and other training measures, we will be able to improve the core quality of smart librarians, provide human resources guarantee for the sustainable development of smart libraries, explore a new idea and new way for the training of smart librarians, and has certain reference value and reference function for the training of smart librarians and team building. With the transformation and development of the smart library to the meta-universe library, new requirements will be put forward for the core quality of the smart librarians, and the strategy on the cultivation of the core quality of the smart librarians will also need to be changed. The process of cultivating the core quality of the smart librarians is a process of sustainable development.

Key words: smart library, smart librarian, core literacy, cultivation path, information literacy